VeganAnnhttp://veganann.com
Plant-based Food that Powers YouMon, 21 Nov 2016 06:30:08 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1https://i2.wp.com/veganann.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/cropped-FI_5.png?fit=32%2C32VeganAnnhttp://veganann.com
323260838749Rye Chocolate Chip Cookieshttp://veganann.com/rye-chocolate-chip-cookies/
http://veganann.com/rye-chocolate-chip-cookies/#respondMon, 21 Nov 2016 06:30:08 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1588In the Nordic countries, rågsikt flour is one of the common types in the supermarkets. It’s usually used to make bread or crackers. The rye flour tends to be less chewy than wheat flour, which makes the bakery softer. So I want to experiment with it to make cookies. As …

]]>In the Nordic countries, rågsikt flour is one of the common types in the supermarkets. It’s usually used to make bread or crackers. The rye flour tends to be less chewy than wheat flour, which makes the bakery softer. So I want to experiment with it to make cookies. As I am a devoted chocolate fan, I want to make the classic chocolate chip cookies I have loved all these years with this one.

The result tends to be pretty good. The cookies ended up being soft and not super sweet, yet with a healthy taste, melt-in-your-mouth feel and super rich chocolate flavor. I love using those 70% chocolate chips as they’re not too sweet, so we’re eating more healthy dark chocolate than sugar. If you’re a dark chocolate lover but don’t want to eat those ordinary sweet chocolate chip cookies, I urge you to try this delicious alternative!

]]>http://veganann.com/rye-chocolate-chip-cookies/feed/01588Uppsala – Messobhttp://veganann.com/uppsala-messob/
http://veganann.com/uppsala-messob/#respondFri, 18 Nov 2016 06:30:15 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1579A while ago when I was still living in Shanghai, a lady who was a globetrotter told me that I should really try Ethiopian food. I have some basic knowledge about African vegetarian food from cookbooks but haven’t really tried any in real life. I have been curious about it …

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A while ago when I was still living in Shanghai, a lady who was a globetrotter told me that I should really try Ethiopian food. I have some basic knowledge about African vegetarian food from cookbooks but haven’t really tried any in real life. I have been curious about it since then. Now I was surprised to find a restaurant in Uppsala serving Ethiopian food, and luckily they had some vegan options!

We booked by email ahead to secure our dinner table. The restaurant was located quite close to the center attraction, which is the famous old cathedral. The interior has a Nordic taste: minimal, simple yet cozy. Some Africa inspired paintings and artworks were decorated here and there.

Staff are young and speak perfect English. So if you don’t know Swedish it’s not a big problem. They are also happy to help you read the menu.

We have 6 different choices on the vegan menu so we tried all of them. The “Allitcha” is a combination of light strew of potato, carrots, paprika and green beans, cooked in herbs. “Vitkålallitcha” is cabbage stew in garlic and herbs. “Timtimo/misir” is cooked lentil paste mixed with garlic, onion and herbs. “Shiro” is the Eastern African peasant’s everyday food. It’s grounded chickpea cooked in Berbere sauce, which is an Ethiopian sauce made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, basil, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek. (I admit that I haven’t even heard of the name of some spices here, hehe). “Silsi/Tsom wot” is just the berbere sauce with onion and the restaurant’s home-made spices. “Hamli/Gomen” is oil fried spinach with garlic and herbs. The sauce itself is a bit spicy, but quite manageable in small doses, compared to some dishes in Indian or Thai cuisines. All dishes were served with a special sponge-like, very “flexible” pancake (that could do yoga perfectly I believe) made of barley, wheat flour, corn and teff flour. Those dishes were quite mild yet tasty. Though I don’t know if the owner has adapted them to local taste so they were milder than their original version. Honey also tried one of those mango-infused African beer with a cute giraffe on the bottle.

We were quite happy about our dinner and would love to come back again if we visit Uppsala. If you want something “unique” and vegan in Uppsala, even though it’s not Swedish, I recommend Messob!

]]>http://veganann.com/uppsala-messob/feed/01579Uppsala – Pizzakökethttp://veganann.com/uppsala-pizzakoket/
http://veganann.com/uppsala-pizzakoket/#respondMon, 14 Nov 2016 06:00:44 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1571Last month we made a lovely weekend trip to Uppsala. It’s a charming old town to the north of Stockholm. It is not a big place so it’s easy to navigate by foot. When we arrived it was almost past the noon. We were very hungry and would like to …

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Last month we made a lovely weekend trip to Uppsala. It’s a charming old town to the north of Stockholm. It is not a big place so it’s easy to navigate by foot.

When we arrived it was almost past the noon. We were very hungry and would like to eat something quick. Pizza was definitely one of our top options. We found Pizzaköket – literally it means pizza kitchen.

The place is located in a quiet street, not very far from the bus station. Since our next step was to visit the old Uppsala which is now northern suburb of modern Uppsala, choosing this one saved us some walking in the chilly wind as it’s close to the bus station where we could head to our next spot. The restaurant is not very big, simple and clean. Style is a bit mixed and the red brick wall and a bit smoky smell reminded us the pizza in the making.

Probably due to the reason that the owner is from Iran, the menu (at least the vegan one we checked) seems to be mixed of Italian and Iranian cuisine. We ordered two pizzas which were served quite quickly. The crust was not super thin but very crispy and crunchy. Vegan cheese was generally sprinkled over the top.

The touch of pickled jalapeno and marinated soy protein “beef” gave it slightly different taste from the normal Italian pizza we used to eat. The portion was quite generous too, even we tend to be big eaters, we were very full after our lunch.

I do recommend this place as a quick vegan fix in Uppsala. It might not be anything “unique” in Uppsala, but It’s reassuring knowing there is a vegan option when other food adventure fails, heehee.

ADD: Kungsgatan 47, 753 21 Uppsala
Phone: 018-10 22 10
Website: https://www.facebook.com/PizzakoketUppsala/
They don’t have their own functional website, so better inquire by phone or on their facebook for the opening hours.

]]>http://veganann.com/uppsala-pizzakoket/feed/01571Paris – Vegan Folie’shttp://veganann.com/paris-vegan-folies/
http://veganann.com/paris-vegan-folies/#respondFri, 23 Sep 2016 05:00:20 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1558Vegan Folie’s is located close to where we stayed in Paris , so we made this the last stop for our brief lunch before we headed to the airport. It’s a rather small and cute restaurant, basically serving simple salads, sandwiches and bakeries. Some narrow bar style table and benches …

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Vegan Folie’s is located close to where we stayed in Paris , so we made this the last stop for our brief lunch before we headed to the airport.

It’s a rather small and cute restaurant, basically serving simple salads, sandwiches and bakeries. Some narrow bar style table and benches are placed along the wall and window. Noticeable are some cute animal pictures hanging on the wall, reminding people that they can enjoy the delicious food without any animals getting harmed. Although I love the message, I personally think it makes the whole place too much like a vegan outreach stand, rather than a restaurant. Perhaps that’s exactly what the owner tries to do. French cuisine is famous for its cream and butter and their non-vegan bakeries are world-famous and competitive. All that makes it difficult for people to turn away from their well beloved tradition to vegan alternatives.

The rice salad was ok. The rice was a bit too stiff and clumped together, with a few faux chicken bits around. I would wish the salad was more embellished with various vegetables, at least some green leaves and perhaps tomatoes.

Sandwiches were also ok. It’s a bit dry all over. Perhaps some nice sauce would rescue it?

The cream on the cupcake was very tasty but the cake texture was a bit too dry and hard. I am not sure if it’s because it was not very fresh or it was just not well formulated. I would love to eat more fluffy and softer cupcake.

Strawberry cake was nice, sweet and creamy. The bottom was a bit dry as well but with the creamy top it wasn’t too bad.

Overall, it’s not too bad but not amazing either. Maybe the cakes that we didn’t choose happened to taste better. It’s nice to have a vegan option when we were surrounded by delicious bakeries and cafes everywhere yet couldn’t find anything vegan to eat. So if you’re a vegan hungry for some sweet stuff, and you happen to be around the area, hop in for a cup of coffee and cake, and surely you can get your sweet tooth satisfied.

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http://veganann.com/paris-ginger-cafe/#respondFri, 05 Aug 2016 05:27:47 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1532Ginger Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant near the Bastille. We went there on a late weekend morning hoping to catch the brunch they’re serving, and we were lucky! The Cafe is small and cozy. Outside is painted in green so it’s easy to recognize. There are a few chairs and …

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Ginger Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant near the Bastille. We went there on a late weekend morning hoping to catch the brunch they’re serving, and we were lucky!

The Cafe is small and cozy. Outside is painted in green so it’s easy to recognize. There are a few chairs and tables outside, although the weather wasn’t nice that day when we were there. However, I imagine it’d be super pleasant to sit outside to eat when weather is awesome.

The owner (or maybe chef?) introduced each dish served personally to us in English with strong French accent. I didn’t manage to remember all, unfortunately. Most dishes are variations of different salads, baked bread or crackers, then there are several baked tartes where you’re free to choose. The meals are all tasty and filling. I loved the tarte although I wish the crust could be a bit more crispy or flaky than packed and hard. I am not sure if it’s just “French” to make the crust that way. The fillings are lovely layered with onions, eggplants, mushrooms, tofu and other vegetables.

We finished our brunch with a cup of coffee and a chocolate terrine: what a wonderful treat after a hearty meal!

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http://veganann.com/paris-hank-vegan-burger/#respondSun, 31 Jul 2016 07:00:28 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1526Hank Vegan Burger is located in the beautiful Le Marais area, surrounded by charming little art galleries and stores in those quiet lanes. The restaurant is quite small and has two floors. The first floor is more like a bar counter, where you can order something quickly, sit down and …

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Hank Vegan Burger is located in the beautiful Le Marais area, surrounded by charming little art galleries and stores in those quiet lanes. The restaurant is quite small and has two floors. The first floor is more like a bar counter, where you can order something quickly, sit down and chat with staff (if they’re free, heehee). Climbing along the narrow stairs, you get to the second floor, which is a small and cute space, with super cute sturdy white wooden stools and tables, cozy sofa, and retro-style wallpapers, or rustic raw walls around you.

The staff are friendly and speak English. The menu is straight forward. Note they have a special burger which changes from time to time, if you’re a curious eater do try that! We selected the set meal, which included the burgers, salads, French fries and drinks. Salads are mainly carrots and cabbages, I would wish there would be a bit more there, but I guess you can’t ask too much for a companion to the burgers. The burgers themselves are quite tasty, juicy and generous in portion, nicely packed and layered with fresh vegetables, together with fries and salads it’s quite filling. The price is inexpensive judging from the location, so I would definitely recommend it if you’re strolling around in this area and long for a fast meal, Hank Vegan Burger would for sure satisfy!

]]>http://veganann.com/paris-hank-vegan-burger/feed/01526Paris – Tien Hianghttp://veganann.com/paris-tien-hiang/
http://veganann.com/paris-tien-hiang/#respondWed, 06 Jul 2016 13:26:24 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1515When we spent a whole day walking around we were pretty tired in the evening. We decided to go to Tien Hiang, an Asian restaurant as we’re always fond of Asian food. It’s very close to the canal Saint Martin, so it was nice to take a walk there after …

]]>When we spent a whole day walking around we were pretty tired in the evening. We decided to go to Tien Hiang, an Asian restaurant as we’re always fond of Asian food. It’s very close to the canal Saint Martin, so it was nice to take a walk there after the dinner.

Tien Hiang is a small restaurant, simple, clean and cozy, more like your ordinary Asian vegetarian restaurant around the corner to go to. The menu provides a range of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food, and has both English and Chinese translation plus some pictures, which makes the order easy. Most dishes are vegan except one dish called “marmitte Tien Hiang”. The staff are friendly and dishes are served quickly. The space can be a bit crowded when it’s full. Overall the taste is good and homey, although slightly too sweet to my taste in the dishes we’ve tried. I am not sure if was due to the specification of our choices or it was simply a characteristics of all dishes here. You’re welcome to share your experience if you happen to be there!

]]>http://veganann.com/paris-tien-hiang/feed/01515Paris – Gentle Gourmet Cafehttp://veganann.com/paris-gentle-gourmet-cafe/
http://veganann.com/paris-gentle-gourmet-cafe/#respondSat, 25 Jun 2016 19:19:29 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1505Last month we had the pleasure to visit Paris. Paris has been a dream city since I was young. The city is lovely with its charming historical buildings everywhere. Although the weather was bad all the time, we had a nice weekend. When talking about vegan food, France, which is …

]]>Last month we had the pleasure to visit Paris. Paris has been a dream city since I was young. The city is lovely with its charming historical buildings everywhere. Although the weather was bad all the time, we had a nice weekend.

When talking about vegan food, France, which is proud of its cream, egg and butter tradition of sauces and exotic games, might be behind the worldly trend, but in recent years it definitely caught up a bit. Gentle Gourmet Cafe is one of the best we’ve tried there so far. It’s located along the canal, on the south of Bastille. The restaurant has modern interior design and nice outside dinning area within the glass house. I love it that way as it feels a bit more “protected” and you can enjoy your food calmly while appreciating a bit street scene. The service is formal and traditional, and all staff speak English well. Lunch/dinner is served by courses, although I had to admit that we haven’t gotten used to this 2-hour-long dining habit in France. People really take time to enjoy food and conversation here. So booking a table in advance is highly recommended (which luckily we did). The food is original, interesting, mild tasting, enriched with local herbs and beautifully presented with edible flowers. It is a bit expensive but I do recommend at least one dinner here for the best high-end vegan dining experience we found in Paris so far, you won’t regret it.

Elegance
Artichoke brunoise marinated in truffle oil on a fennel mousseline, mini sautéed fennel and black sesame. (Warm – Allergens: soy, sesame, celery)
I am not a fan of artichoke, but when it’s presented like this, I can’t say no.

Delight
White wine, morel, and mushroom risotto, savory, reduced coffee juice.
(Warm – GF – Allergens: soy, celery)
I’ve never had coffee flavored sauce before, so it’s all new for me! Although I am highly sensitive to caffeine I only got to taste a bit of this myself, but M seems to enjoy it.

]]>http://veganann.com/paris-gentle-gourmet-cafe/feed/01505Celery and White Lily Bulbs Stir-fryhttp://veganann.com/celery-white-lily-bulbs-stir-fry/
http://veganann.com/celery-white-lily-bulbs-stir-fry/#respondSat, 18 Jun 2016 16:36:16 +0000http://veganann.com/?p=1499Celery and white lily bulbs stir-fry, or called 西芹百合 in Chinese, is commonly seen in most Chinese restaurants. The white lily bulbs are available in dry version or fresh versions. The texture of both vegetables is quite crunchy, although the celery tastes more fresh and watery and lily bulbs more …

Celery and white lily bulbs stir-fry, or called 西芹百合 in Chinese, is commonly seen in most Chinese restaurants. The white lily bulbs are available in dry version or fresh versions. The texture of both vegetables is quite crunchy, although the celery tastes more fresh and watery and lily bulbs more mealy, so I think it’s an interesting combination. The fresh mouth feel makes it an excellent companion to all the heavy protein loaded dishes.

The other day I found it (surprisingly!)in the frozen section in Asian market in Stockholm, so I decided to give it a try at home. The lovely white and tender green color are superb for the spring!

Instructions
1. Wash the white lily bulbs carefully, remove or brush off the dirt, and peel each petal off. Use kitchen scissors to cut off any discolored parts.
2. Cut the celery stalk diagonally.
3. Heat the wok on high heat for a minute, then turn to medium, add oil, then celery and lily bulbs, stir fry for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper and serve as a side dish!